Fossil
Preserved remains of ancient life
Body Fossils
Preserved remains of the plant or animal itself, or the preserved parts of the animal or plant like bones, teeth, and shells, or the imprint of parts of the organism
Mold Fossils
Hollow space left in a rock by animal or plant remains that have dissolved
Cast Fossils
When molds fill in with minerals or sediments that later harden, the result is a cast
Permineralization
Groundwater fills pore spaces in organism remains and deposits minerals. Most dino fossils are formed this way.
Strata
Layers of sedimentary rock that compile and compress over time and can trap fossils within it
Transitional Fossil
A fossil that provides evidence for organisms moving from water to land
Evolution
A theory that proposes that organisms changed over long periods of time through natural selection and survival of the fittest
Paleontologist
A scientist that studies the fossil record to better understand life on earth
Fossil Record
The collection of all known fossils, arranged in chroneological order, which provides evidence of the history of life on earth.
